A fault-tolerant, state-compatible computing system and method have a user interface and a data center. The user interface accesses a first network, and the data center is connected to the first network by a plurality of communication links. The data center includes an extreme server; a plurality of application servers capable of running at least one application; and a second network having two or more communication links between the extreme server and the application servers. Using the communication protocols of the first network, the user interface is able to operate a first application executing on a first application server; and the extreme server maintains a second application executing on a second application server in a state-compatible condition to be used in the event that the user interface is no longer able to operate the first application.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A fault-tolerant, state-compatible computing system, comprising: a user interface connected to a wide-area network; a data center comprising: an extreme server having at least one screen scraper; a plurality of application servers capable of running at least one application; and a local network having two or more communication links between the extreme server and the application servers; a regional network having at least two communication links to the wide-area network and at least two communications links to the data center, wherein the regional network includes a security server for providing security to the connections between the wide-area network and the data center; wherein, using the communication protocols of the wide-area network, the user interface is able to operate a first application executing on a first application server; and wherein the extreme server maintains a second application executing on a second application server in a state-compatible condition to be used in the event that the user interface is no longer able to operate the first application.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is provided by a computing device.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the screen scraper, responsive to a request for execution of the first application by the user interface, forwards the request to both the first application and the second application, with the second application corresponding to the first application.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the second application on the second application server is identical to the first application on the first application server.
5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first and second applications share common operations with respect to inputs from the user interface.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the regional network includes a high-speed Internet protocol network for connecting the data center to the Internet.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the regional network, using the communication links, provides redundancy in connections between the wide-area network and the data center.
8. A fault-tolerant, state-compatible computing system, comprising: a user interface connected to a wide-area network; a data center comprising: an extreme server having at least one screen scraper: a plurality of application servers capable of running at least one application; and a local network having two or more communication links between the extreme server and the application servers; a regional network having at least two communication links to the wide-area network and at least two communications links to the data center; wherein, using the communication protocols of the wide-area network, the user interface is able to operate a first application executing on a first application server; wherein the extreme server maintains a second application executing on a second application server in a state-compatible condition to be used in the event that the user interface is no longer able to operate the first application; wherein the data center includes first and second data centers; and wherein the regional network includes a load balancing server for balancing operational loads between the first and second data centers.
9. A fault-tolerant, state-compatible computing system, comprising: a user interface accessing a first network; a data center connected to the first network by a plurality of communication links, comprising: an extreme server; a plurality of application servers capable of running at least one application; and a second network having two or more communication links between the extreme server and the application servers; wherein, using the communication protocols of the first network, the user interface is able to operate a first application executing on a first application server; wherein the extreme server maintains a second application executing on a second application server in a state-compatible condition to be used in the event that the user interface is no longer able to operate the first application; and a regional network for providing redundant connections using the communication links between the user interface and the data center, wherein the regional network includes a security server for providing security to the connections between the wide-area network and the data center.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the user interface is provided by a computing device.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the extreme server includes: a screen scraper, responsive to a request for execution of the first application by the user interface, for forwarding the request to both the first application and the second application, with the second application corresponding to the first application.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second application on the second application server is identical to the first application on the first application server.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first and second applications share common operations with respect to inputs from the user interface.
14. A fault-tolerant, state-compatible computing system, comprising: a user interface accessing a first network; a data center connected to the first network by a plurality of communication links, comprising: an extreme server; a plurality of application servers capable of running at least one application; and a second network having two or more communication links between the extreme server and the application servers; and a regional network for providing redundant connections using the communication links between the user interface and the data center; wherein, using the communication protocols of the first network, the user interface is able to operate a first application executing on a first application server; wherein the extreme server maintains a second application executing on a second application server in a state-compatible condition to be used in the event that the user interface is no longer able to operate the first application; wherein the data center includes first and second data centers; and wherein the regional network includes a load balancing server for balancing operational loads between the first and second data centers.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
September 29, 2000
November 9, 2004
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